Biodiesel - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

6/18/2014 Biodiesel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel 1/31
Bus run by biodiesel
Space-filling model of methyl
linoleate, or linoleic acid
methyl ester, a common
methyl ester produced from
soybean or canola oil and
methanol
Biodiesel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel
consisting of long-chain alkyl (methyl, ethyl, or propyl) esters. Biodiesel is
typically made by chemically reacting lipids (e.g., vegetable oil, animal fat
(tallow
[1][2]
)) with an alcohol producing fatty acid esters.
Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is thus
distinct from the vegetable and waste oils used to fuel converted diesel
engines. Biodiesel can be used alone, or blended with petrodiesel in any
proportions. Biodiesel can also be used as a low carbon alternative to
heating oil.
The National Biodiesel Board (USA) also has a technical definition of "biodiesel"
as a mono-alkyl ester.
[3]
Contents
1 Blends
2 Applications
2.1 Distribution
2.2 Vehicular use and manufacturer acceptance
2.3 Railway usage
2.4 Aircraft use
2.5 As a heating oil
2.6 Cleaning oil spills
2.7 Biodiesel in generators
3 Historical background
4 Properties
4.1 Fuel Efficiency
4.2 Combustion
4.3 Emissions
4.4 Material compatibility
5 Technical standards
6 Low temperature gelling
7 Contamination by water
8 Availability and prices
9 Production
Space-filling model of ethyl stearate,
or stearic acid ethyl ester, an ethyl
ester produced from soybean or
canola oil and ethanol
9.1 Production levels
9.2 Biodiesel feedstocks
9.2.1 Quantity of feedstocks required
9.3 Yield
9.4 Efficiency and economic arguments
10 Economic impact
11 Energy security
12 Global biofuel policies
12.1 Canada
12.2 United States
12.3 European Union
13 Environmental effects
14 Food, land and water vs. fuel
15 Current research
15.1 Algal biodiesel
15.2 Pongamia
15.3 Jatropha
15.4 Fungi
15.5 Biodiesel from used coffee grounds
15.6 Exotic sources
15.7 Biodiesel to hydrogen-cell power
16 Concerns
16.1 Engine wear
16.2 Fuel viscosity
16.3 Engine performance
17 See also
18 Notes
19 References
20 External links
Blends
Blends of biodiesel and conventional hydrocarbon-based diesel are products most commonly distributed for use in
the retail diesel fuel marketplace. Much of the world uses a system known as the "B" factor to state the amount of
biodiesel in any fuel mix:
[4]
100% biodiesel is referred to as B100
Biodiesel sample
20% biodiesel, 80% petrodiesel is labeled B20
Blends of 20% biodiesel and lower can be used in diesel equipment with no, or
only minor modifications,
[5]
although certain manufacturers do not extend
warranty coverage if equipment is damaged by these blends. The B6 to B20
blends are covered by the ASTM D7467 specification.
[6]
Biodiesel can also be
used in its pure form (B100), but may require certain engine modifications to
avoid maintenance and performance problems.
[7]
Blending B100 with petroleum
diesel may be accomplished by:
Mixing in tanks at manufacturing point prior to delivery to tanker truck
Splash mixing in the tanker truck (adding specific percentages of biodiesel
and petroleum diesel)
In-line mixing, two components arrive at tanker truck simultaneously.
Metered pump mixing, petroleum diesel and biodiesel meters are set to X total volume, transfer pump pulls
from two points and mix is complete on leaving pump.
Applications
Biodiesel can be used in pure form (B100) or may be blended with petroleum diesel at any concentration in most
injection pump diesel engines. New extreme high-pressure (29,000 psi) common rail engines have strict factory
limits of B5 or B20, depending on manufacturer. Biodiesel has different solvent properties than petrodiesel, and will
degrade natural rubber gaskets and hoses in vehicles (mostly vehicles manufactured before 1992), although these
tend to wear out naturally and most likely will have already been replaced with FKM, which is nonreactive to
biodiesel. Biodiesel has been known to break down deposits of residue in the fuel lines where petrodiesel has been
used.
[8]
As a result, fuel filters may become clogged with particulates if a quick transition to pure biodiesel is made.
Therefore, it is recommended to change the fuel filters on engines and heaters shortly after first switching to a
biodiesel blend.
[9]
Distribution
Since the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, biodiesel use has been increasing in the United States.
[10]
In
the UK, the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation obliges suppliers to include 5% renewable fuel in all transport
fuel sold in the UK by 2010. For road diesel, this effectively means 5% biodiesel (B5).
Vehicular use and manufacturer acceptance
In 2005, Chrysler (then part of DaimlerChrysler) released the Jeep Liberty CRD diesels from the factory into the
American market with 5% biodiesel blends, indicating at least partial acceptance of biodiesel as an acceptable
diesel fuel additive.
[11]
In 2007, DaimlerChrysler indicated its intention to increase warranty coverage to 20%
biodiesel blends if biofuel quality in the United States can be standardized.
[12]
The Volkswagen Group has released a statement indicating that several of its vehicles are compatible with B5 and
B100 made from rape seed oil and compatible with the EN 14214 standard. The use of the specified biodiesel type
in its cars will not void any warranty.
[13]
Mercedes Benz does not allow diesel fuels containing greater than 5% biodiesel (B5) due to concerns about
"production shortcomings".
[14]
Any damages caused by the use of such non-approved fuels will not be covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
Starting in 2004, the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia decided to update its bus system to allow the fleet of city buses to
run entirely on a fish-oil based biodiesel. This caused the city some initial mechanical issues, but after several years
of refining, the entire fleet had successfully been converted.
[15][16]

[17]
In 2007, McDonalds of UK announced it would start producing biodiesel from the waste oil byproduct of its
restaurants. This fuel would be used to run its fleet.
[18]
The 2014 Chevy Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel, direct from the factory, will be rated for up to B20 (blend of 20%
biodiesel / 80% regular diesel) biodiesel compatibility
[19]
Railway usage
British train operating company Virgin Trains claimed to have run the UK's first "biodiesel train", which was
converted to run on 80% petrodiesel and 20% biodiesel.
[20]
The Royal Train on 15 September 2007 completed its first ever journey run on 100% biodiesel fuel supplied by
Green Fuels Ltd. His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, and Green Fuels managing director, James Hygate,
were the first passengers on a train fueled entirely by biodiesel fuel. Since 2007, the Royal Train has operated
successfully on B100 (100% biodiesel).
[21]
Similarly, a state-owned short-line railroad in eastern Washington ran a test of a 25% biodiesel / 75% petrodiesel
blend during the summer of 2008, purchasing fuel from a biodiesel producer sited along the railroad tracks.
[22]
The
train will be powered by biodiesel made in part from canola grown in agricultural regions through which the short
line runs.
Also in 2007, Disneyland began running the park trains on B98 (98% biodiesel). The program was discontinued in
2008 due to storage issues, but in January 2009, it was announced that the park would then be running all trains on
biodiesel manufactured from its own used cooking oils. This is a change from running the trains on soy-based
biodiesel.
[23]
In 2007, the historic Cog Railways added the first biodiesel locomotive to its all-steam locomotive fleet. The fleet
has climbed up the Mount Washington in New Hampshire since 1868 with a peak vertical climb of 37.4
degrees.
[24]
Aircraft use
A test flight has been performed by a Czech jet aircraft completely powered on biodiesel.
[25]
Other recent jet flights
using biofuel, however, have been using other types of renewable fuels.
On November 7, 2011 United Airlines flew the world's first commercial aviation flight on a microbially derived
biofuel using Solajet, Solazyme's algae-derived renewable jet fuel. The Eco-skies Boeing 737-800 plane was
fueled with 40 percent Solajet and 60 percent petroleum-derived jet fuel. The commercial Eco-skies flight 1403
departed from Houston's IAH airport at 10:30 and landed at Chicago's ORD airport at 13:03.
[26]
As a heating oil
Biodiesel can also be used as a heating fuel in domestic and commercial boilers, a mix of heating oil and biofuel
which is standardized and taxed slightly differently from diesel fuel used for transportation. It is sometimes known as
"bioheat" (which is a registered trademark of the National Biodiesel Board [NBB] and the National Oilheat
Research Alliance (http://www.nora-oilheat.org/site20/index.mv?screen=home) [NORA] in the U.S., and
Columbia Fuels in Canada).
[27]
Heating biodiesel is available in various blends. ASTM 396 recognizes blends of up
to 5 percent biodiesel as equivalent to pure petroleum heating oil. Blends of higher levels of up to 20% biofuel are
used by many consumers. Research is underway to determine whether such blends affect performance.
Older furnaces may contain rubber parts that would be affected by biodiesel's solvent properties, but can otherwise
burn biodiesel without any conversion required. Care must be taken, however, given that varnishes left behind by
petrodiesel will be released and can clog pipes- fuel filtering and prompt filter replacement is required. Another
approach is to start using biodiesel as a blend, and decreasing the petroleum proportion over time can allow the
varnishes to come off more gradually and be less likely to clog. Thanks to its strong solvent properties, however,
the furnace is cleaned out and generally becomes more efficient.
[28]
A technical research paper
[29]
describes
laboratory research and field trials project using pure biodiesel and biodiesel blends as a heating fuel in oil-fired
boilers. During the Biodiesel Expo 2006 in the UK, Andrew J. Robertson presented his biodiesel heating oil
research from his technical paper and suggested B20 biodiesel could reduce UK household CO
2
emissions by
1.5 million tons per year.
A law passed under Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick requires all home heating diesel in that state to be 2%
biofuel by July 1, 2010, and 5% biofuel by 2013.
[30]
New York City has passed a similar law.
Cleaning oil spills
With 80-90% of oil spill costs invested in shoreline cleanup, there is a search for more efficient and cost-effective
methods to extract oil spills from the shorelines.
[31]
Biodiesel has displayed its capacity to significantly dissolve
crude oil, depending on the source of the fatty acids. In a laboratory setting, oiled sediments that simulated polluted
shorelines were sprayed with a single coat of biodiesel and exposed to simulated tides.
[32]
Biodiesel is an effective
solvent to oil due to its methyl ester component, which considerably lowers the viscosity of the crude oil.
Additionally, it has a higher buoyancy than crude oil, which later aids in its removal. As a result, 80% of oil was
removed from cobble and fine sand, 50% in coarse sand, and 30% in gravel. Once the oil is liberated from the
shoreline, the oil-biodiesel mixture is manually removed from the water surface with skimmers. Any remaining
mixture is easily broken down due to the high biodegradability of biodiesel, and the increased surface area exposure
of the mixture.
Biodiesel in generators
Biodiesel is also used in
rental generators
Rudolf Diesel
In 2001, UC Riverside installed a 6-megawatt backup power system that is
entirely fueled by biodiesel. Backup diesel-fueled generators allow companies to
avoid damaging blackouts of critical operations at the expense of high pollution
and emission rates. By using B100, these generators were able to essentially
eliminate the byproducts that result in smog, ozone, and sulfur emissions.
[33]
The
use of these generators in residential areas around schools, hospitals, and the
general public result in substantial reductions in poisonous carbon monoxide and
particulate matter.
[34]
Historical background
Transesterification of a vegetable oil was conducted as early as 1853 by E. Duffy
and J. Patrick,
[35]
many years before the first diesel engine became
functional.
[36][37]
Rudolf Diesel's prime model, a single 10 ft (3 m) iron cylinder
with a flywheel at its base, ran on its own power for the first time in Augsburg,
Germany, on 10 August 1893 running on nothing but peanut oil. In remembrance
of this event, 10 August has been declared "International Biodiesel Day
(http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/international-biodiesel-day/)".
[38]
It is often reported that Diesel designed his engine to run on peanut oil, but this is
not the case. Diesel stated in his published papers, "at the Paris Exhibition in 1900
(Exposition Universelle) there was shown by the Otto Company a small Diesel
engine, which, at the request of the French government ran on arachide (earth-nut
or pea-nut) oil (see biodiesel), and worked so smoothly that only a few people
were aware of it. The engine was constructed for using mineral oil, and was then
worked on vegetable oil without any alterations being made. The French
Government at the time thought of testing the applicability to power production of
the Arachide, or earth-nut, which grows in considerable quantities in their African
colonies, and can easily be cultivated there." Diesel himself later conducted related tests and appeared supportive of
the idea.
[39]
In a 1912 speech Diesel said, "the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today
but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present
time."
Despite the widespread use of petroleum-derived diesel fuels, interest in vegetable oils as fuels for internal
combustion engines was reported in several countries during the 1920s and 1930s and later during World War II.
Belgium, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Japan and China were reported
to have tested and used vegetable oils as diesel fuels during this time. Some operational problems were reported
due to the high viscosity of vegetable oils compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which results in poor atomization of
the fuel in the fuel spray and often leads to deposits and coking of the injectors, combustion chamber and valves.
Attempts to overcome these problems included heating of the vegetable oil, blending it with petroleum-derived
diesel fuel or ethanol, pyrolysis and cracking of the oils.
On 31 August 1937, G. Chavanne of the University of Brussels (Belgium) was granted a patent for a "Procedure
for the transformation of vegetable oils for their uses as fuels" (fr. "Procd de Transformation dHuiles
Vgtales en Vue de Leur Utilisation comme Carburants") Belgian Patent 422,877. This patent described the
Older diesel Mercedes are popular for
running on biodiesel.
alcoholysis (often referred to as transesterification) of vegetable oils using ethanol (and mentions methanol) in order
to separate the fatty acids from the glycerol by replacing the glycerol with short linear alcohols. This appears to be
the first account of the production of what is known as "biodiesel" today.
[40]
More recently, in 1977, Brazilian scientist Expedito Parente invented and submitted for patent, the first industrial
process for the production of biodiesel.
[41]
This process is classified as biodiesel by international norms, conferring
a "standardized identity and quality. No other proposed biofuel has been validated by the motor industry."
[42]
As of
2010, Parente's company Tecbio is working with Boeing and NASA to certify bioquerosene (bio-kerosene),
another product produced and patented by the Brazilian scientist.
[43]
Research into the use of transesterified sunflower oil, and refining it to diesel fuel standards, was initiated in South
Africa in 1979. By 1983, the process for producing fuel-quality, engine-tested biodiesel was completed and
published internationally.
[44]
An Austrian company, Gaskoks, obtained the technology from the South African
Agricultural Engineers; the company erected the first biodiesel pilot plant in November 1987, and the first industrial-
scale plant in April 1989 (with a capacity of 30,000 tons of rapeseed per annum).
Throughout the 1990s, plants were opened in many European countries, including the Czech Republic, Germany
and Sweden. France launched local production of biodiesel fuel (referred to as diester) from rapeseed oil, which is
mixed into regular diesel fuel at a level of 5%, and into the diesel fuel used by some captive fleets (e.g. public
transportation) at a level of 30%. Renault, Peugeot and other manufacturers have certified truck engines for use
with up to that level of partial biodiesel; experiments with 50% biodiesel are underway. During the same period,
nations in other parts of the world also saw local production of biodiesel starting up: by 1998, the Austrian Biofuels
Institute had identified 21 countries with commercial biodiesel projects. 100% biodiesel is now available at many
normal service stations across Europe.
Properties
Biodiesel has better lubricating properties and much higher cetane ratings than today's low sulfur diesel fuels.
Biodiesel addition reduces fuel system wear,
[45]
and in low levels in high pressure systems increases the life of the
fuel injection equipment that relies on the fuel for its lubrication. Depending on the engine, this might include high
pressure injection pumps, pump injectors (also called unit injectors) and fuel injectors.
The calorific value of biodiesel is about 37.27 MJ/kg.
[46]
This is 9%
lower than regular Number 2 petrodiesel. Variations in biodiesel energy
density is more dependent on the feedstock used than the production
process. Still, these variations are less than for petrodiesel.
[47]
It has been
claimed biodiesel gives better lubricity and more complete combustion
thus increasing the engine energy output and partially compensating for
the higher energy density of petrodiesel.
[48]
Biodiesel is a liquid which varies in color between golden and dark
brown depending on the production feedstock. It is slightly miscible
with water, has a high boiling point and low vapor pressure. *The flash
point of biodiesel (>130 C, >266 F)
[49]
is significantly higher than that of petroleum diesel (64 C, 147 F) or
gasoline (45 C, -52 F). Biodiesel has a density of ~ 0.88 g/cm, higher than petrodiesel ( ~ 0.85 g/cm).
Biodiesel has virtually no sulfur content,
[50]
and it is often used as an additive to Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)
fuel to aid with lubrication, as the sulfur compounds in petrodiesel provide much of the lubricity.
Fuel Efficiency
Biodiesel will have a varying amount of power output depending on its: blend, quality, and load conditions under
which the fuel is burnt. The thermal efficiency for example of B100 as compared to B20 will vary due to the BTU
content of the various blends. Thermal efficiency of a fuel is based in part on fuel characteristics such as: viscosity,
specific density, and flash point; these characteristics will change as the blends as well as the quality of biodiesel
varies. The American Society for Testing and Materials has set standards in order to judge the quality of a given
fuel sample.
[51]
A study on the brake thermal efficiency of varied biodiesel blends were tested under a series of load conditions as
well as compression ratios. A part of the trial was comparing the thermal efficiency of B40 to traditional petrodiesel,
as well as varying blends of biodiesel; as a result it was found that B40 performed at greater levels of efficiency
over its traditional counterpart at higher compression ratios (this higher brake thermal efficiency was recorded at
compression ratios of 21:1. It was noted that as the compression ratios increased the efficiency of all fuel types as
well as blends being tested increased; though it was found that a blend of B40 was the most economical at a
compression ratio of 21:1 over all other blends. The study implied that this increase in efficiency was due to fuel
density, viscosity, and heating values of the fuels.
[52]
Combustion
Fuel systems on the modern diesel engine were not designed to accommodate biodiesel. Traditional direct injection
fuel systems operate at roughly 3,000 psi at the injector tip while the modern common rail fuel system operates
upwards of 30,000 PSI at the injector tip. Components are designed to operate at a great temperature range, from
below freezing to over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Diesel fuel is expected to burn efficiently and produce as few
emissions as possible. As emission standards are being introduced to diesel engines the need to control harmful
emissions is being designed into the parameters of diesel engine fuel systems. The traditional inline injection system
is more forgiving to poorer quality fuels as opposed to the common rail fuel system. The higher pressures and tighter
tolerances of the common rail system allows for greater control over atomization and injection timing. This control
of atomization as well as combustion allows for greater efficiency of modern diesel engines as well as greater
control over emissions. Components within a diesel fuel system interact with the fuel in a way to ensure efficient
operation of the fuel system and so the engine. If a fuel is introduced to a system-that has specific parameters of
operation-and you vary those parameters by an out of specification fuel you may compromise the integrity of the
overall fuel system. Some of these parameters such as spray pattern and atomization are directly related to injection
timing.
[53]
One study looked at these characteristics of biodiesel in a fuel system. It was found that during atomization
biodiesel and its blends produced droplets that were greater in diameter than the droplets produced by traditional
petrodiesel. The smaller droplets were attributed to the lower viscosity and surface tension of traditional petrol. It
was found that droplets at the periphery of the spray pattern were larger in diameter than the droplets at the center
this was attributed to the faster pressure drop at the edge of the spray pattern; there was a proportional relationship
between the droplet size and the distance from the injector tip. It was found that B100 had the greatest spray
penetration, this was attributed to the greater density of B100.
[54]
Having a greater droplet size can lead to;
inefficiencies in the combustion, increased emissions, and decreased horse power. In another study it was found
that there is a short injection delay when injecting biodiesel. This injection delay was attributed to the greater
viscosity of Biodiesel. It was noted that the higher viscosity and the greater cetane rating of biodiesel over traditional
petrodiesel lead to poor atomization, as well as mixture penetration with air during the ignition delay period.
[55]
Another study noted that this ignition delay may aid in a decrease of NOx emission.
[56]
Emissions
There are a number of emissions that are inherent to the combustion of diesel fuels that are regulated by the
Environmental Protection Agency, E.P.A. As these emissions are a byproduct of the combustion process in order
to ensure E.P.A. compliance a fuel system must be capable of controlling the combustion of fuels as well as the
mitigation of emissions. There are a number of new technologies that are becoming phased in in order to control the
production of diesel emissions. The exhaust gas recirculation system, E.G.R., and the diesel particulate filter,
D.P.F., are both designed to mitigate the production of harmful emissions.
[57]
While studying the effect of biodiesel on a D.P.F. it was found that though the presence of sodium and potassium
carbonates aided in the catalytic conversion of ash, as the diesel particulates are catalyzed, they may congregate
inside the D.P.F. and so interfere with the clearances of the filter. This may cause the filter to clog and interfere with
the regeneration process.
[58]
In a study on the impact of E.G.R. rates with blends of jathropa biodiesel it was
showed that there was a decrease in fuel efficiency and torque output due to the use of biodiesel on a diesel engine
designed with an E.G.R. system. It was found that CO and CO2 emissions increased with an increase in exhaust
gas recirculation but NOx levels decreased. The opacity level of the jathropa blends was in an acceptable range,
where traditional diesel was out of acceptable standards. It was shown that a decrease in Nox emissions could be
obtained with an E.G.R. system. This study showed an advantage over traditional diesel within a certain operating
range of the E.G.R. system.
[59]
Material compatibility
Plastics: High density polyethylene (HDPE) is compatible but polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is slowly degraded.
[4]
Polystyrene is dissolved on contact with biodiesel.
Metals: Biodiesel (like methanol) has an effect on copper-based materials (e.g. brass), and it also affects
zinc, tin, lead, and cast iron.
[4]
Stainless steels (316 and 304) and aluminum are unaffected.
Rubber: Biodiesel also affects types of natural rubbers found in some older engine components. Studies have
also found that fluorinated elastomers (FKM) cured with peroxide and base-metal oxides can be degraded
when biodiesel loses its stability caused by oxidation. Commonly used synthetic rubbers FKM- GBL-S and
FKM- GF-S found in modern vehicles were found to handle biodiesel in all conditions.
[60]
Technical standards
Biodiesel has a number of standards for its quality including European standard EN 14214, ASTM International
D6751, and others.
Low temperature gelling
When biodiesel is cooled below a certain point, some of the molecules aggregate and form crystals. The fuel starts
to appear cloudy once the crystals become larger than one quarter of the wavelengths of visible light - this is the
cloud point (CP). As the fuel is cooled further these crystals become larger. The lowest temperature at which fuel
can pass through a 45 micrometre filter is the cold filter plugging point (CFPP). As biodiesel is cooled further it will
gel and then solidify. Within Europe, there are differences in the CFPP requirements between countries. This is
reflected in the different national standards of those countries. The temperature at which pure (B100) biodiesel
starts to gel varies significantly and depends upon the mix of esters and therefore the feedstock oil used to produce
the biodiesel. For example, biodiesel produced from low erucic acid varieties of canola seed (RME) starts to gel at
approximately 10 C (14 F). Biodiesel produced from tallow tends and palm oil to gel at around +16 C
(61 F). There are a number of commercially available additives that will significantly lower the pour point and cold
filter plugging point of pure biodiesel. Winter operation is also possible by blending biodiesel with other fuel oils
including #2 low sulfur diesel fuel and #1 diesel / kerosene.
Another approach to facilitate the use of biodiesel in cold conditions is by employing a second fuel tank for
biodiesel in addition to the standard diesel fuel tank. The second fuel tank can be insulated and a heating coil using
engine coolant is run through the tank. The fuel tanks can be switched over when the fuel is sufficiently warm. A
similar method can be used to operate diesel vehicles using straight vegetable oil.
Contamination by water
Biodiesel may contain small but problematic quantities of water. Although it is only slightly miscible with water it is
hygroscopic.
[61]
One of the reasons biodiesel can absorb water is the persistence of mono and diglycerides left
over from an incomplete reaction. These molecules can act as an emulsifier, allowing water to mix with the
biodiesel. In addition, there may be water that is residual to processing or resulting from storage tank condensation.
The presence of water is a problem because:
Water reduces the heat of fuel combustion, causing smoke, harder starting, and reduced power.
Water causes corrosion of fuel system components (pumps, fuel lines, etc.)
Microbes in water cause the paper-element filters in the system to rot and fail, causing failure of the fuel
pump due to ingestion of large particles.
Water freezes to form ice crystals that provide sites for nucleation, accelerating gelling of the fuel.
Water causes pitting in pistons.
Previously, the amount of water contaminating biodiesel has been difficult to measure by taking samples, since
water and oil separate. However, it is now possible to measure the water content using water-in-oil sensors.
Water contamination is also a potential problem when using certain chemical catalysts involved in the production
process, substantially reducing catalytic efficiency of base (high pH) catalysts such as potassium hydroxide.
However, the super-critical methanol production methodology, whereby the transesterification process of oil
feedstock and methanol is effectuated under high temperature and pressure, has been shown to be largely
unaffected by the presence of water contamination during the production phase.
Availability and prices
In some countries biodiesel
is less expensive than
conventional diesel
Global biodiesel production reached 3.8 million tons in 2005. Approximately
85% of biodiesel production came from the European Union.
In 2007, in the United States, average retail (at the pump) prices, including
federal and state fuel taxes, of B2/B5 were lower than petroleum diesel by about
12 cents, and B20 blends were the same as petrodiesel.
[62]
However, as part of
a dramatic shift in diesel pricing, by July 2009, the US DOE was reporting
average costs of B20 15 cents per gallon higher than petroleum diesel ($2.69/gal
vs. $2.54/gal).
[63]
B99 and B100 generally cost more than petrodiesel except
where local governments provide a tax incentive or subsidy.
Production
Biodiesel is commonly produced by the transesterification of the vegetable oil or
animal fat feedstock. There are several methods for carrying out this
transesterification reaction including the common batch process, supercritical
processes, ultrasonic methods, and even microwave methods.
Chemically, transesterified biodiesel comprises a mix of mono-alkyl esters of long
chain fatty acids. The most common form uses methanol (converted to sodium
methoxide) to produce methyl esters (commonly referred to as Fatty Acid Methyl Ester - FAME) as it is the
cheapest alcohol available, though ethanol can be used to produce an ethyl ester (commonly referred to as Fatty
Acid Ethyl Ester - FAEE) biodiesel and higher alcohols such as isopropanol and butanol have also been used.
Using alcohols of higher molecular weights improves the cold flow properties of the resulting ester, at the cost of a
less efficient transesterification reaction. A lipid transesterification production process is used to convert the base oil
to the desired esters. Any free fatty acids (FFAs) in the base oil are either converted to soap and removed from the
process, or they are esterified (yielding more biodiesel) using an acidic catalyst. After this processing, unlike straight
vegetable oil, biodiesel has combustion properties very similar to those of petroleum diesel, and can replace it in
most current uses.
The methanol used in most biodiesel production processes is made using fossil fuel inputs. However, there are
sources of renewable methanol made using carbon dioxide or biomass as feedstock, making their production
processes free of fossil fuels.
[64]
A by-product of the transesterification process is the production of glycerol. For every 1 tonne of biodiesel that is
manufactured, 100 kg of glycerol are produced. Originally, there was a valuable market for the glycerol, which
assisted the economics of the process as a whole. However, with the increase in global biodiesel production, the
market price for this crude glycerol (containing 20% water and catalyst residues) has crashed. Research is being
conducted globally to use this glycerol as a chemical building block (see chemical intermediate under Wikipedia
article "Glycerol"). One initiative in the UK is The Glycerol Challenge.
[65]
Usually this crude glycerol has to be purified, typically by performing vacuum distillation. This is rather energy
intensive. The refined glycerol (98%+ purity) can then be utilised directly, or converted into other products. The
following announcements were made in 2007: A joint venture of Ashland Inc. and Cargill announced plans to make
Plant oils
Soybeans are used as a source of
biodiesel
Types
Vegetable oil (list)
Macerated oil (list)
Uses
propylene glycol in Europe from glycerol
[66]
and Dow Chemical announced similar plans for North America.
[67]
Dow also plans to build a plant in China to make epichlorhydrin from glycerol.
[68]
Epichlorhydrin is a raw material
for epoxy resins.
Production levels
In 2007, biodiesel production capacity was growing rapidly, with an average annual growth rate from 2002-06 of
over 40%.
[69]
For the year 2006, the latest for which actual production figures could be obtained, total world
biodiesel production was about 5-6 million tonnes, with 4.9 million tonnes processed in Europe (of which
2.7 million tonnes was from Germany) and most of the rest from the USA. In 2008 production in Europe alone had
risen to 7.8 million tonnes.
[70]
In July 2009, a duty was added to American imported biodiesel in the European
Union in order to balance the competition from European, especially German producers.
[71][72]
The capacity for
2008 in Europe totalled 16 million tonnes. This compares with a total demand for diesel in the US and Europe of
approximately 490 million tonnes (147 billion gallons).
[73]
Total world production of vegetable oil for all purposes in
2005/06 was about 110 million tonnes, with about 34 million tonnes each of palm oil and soybean oil.
[74]
US biodiesel production in 2011 brought the industry to a new milestone. Under the EPA Renewable Fuel
Standard, targets have been implemented for the biodiesel production plants in order to monitor and document
production levels in comparison to total demand. According to the year-end data released by the EPA, biodiesel
production in 2011 reached more than 1 billion gallons. This production number far exceeded the 800 million gallon
target set by the EPA. The projected production for 2020 is nearly 12 billion gallons.
[75]
Biodiesel feedstocks
A variety of oils can be used to produce biodiesel. These include:
Virgin oil feedstock rapeseed and soybean oils are most commonly used,
soybean oil accounting for about half of U.S. production.
[76]
It also can be
obtained from Pongamia, field pennycress and jatropha and other crops such
as mustard, jojoba, flax, sunflower, palm oil, coconut, hemp (see list of
vegetable oils for biofuel for more information);
Waste vegetable oil (WVO);
Animal fats including tallow, lard, yellow grease, chicken fat,
[77]
and the by-
products of the production of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.
Algae, which can be grown using waste materials such as sewage
[78]
and
without displacing land currently used for food production.
Oil from halophytes such as Salicornia bigelovii, which can be grown using
saltwater in coastal areas where conventional crops cannot be grown, with
yields equal to the yields of soybeans and other oilseeds grown using
freshwater irrigation
[79]
Drying oil - Oil paint
Cooking oil
Fuel - Biodiesel
Components
Saturated fat
Monounsaturated fat
Polyunsaturated fat
Trans fat
Sewage Sludge - The sewage-to-biofuel field is attracting interest from major
companies like Waste Management and startups like InfoSpi, which are
betting that renewable sewage biodiesel can become competitive with
petroleum diesel on price.
[80]
Many advocates suggest that waste vegetable oil is the best source of oil to produce
biodiesel, but since the available supply is drastically less than the amount of
petroleum-based fuel that is burned for transportation and home heating in the world,
this local solution could not scale to the current rate of consumption.
Animal fats are a by-product of meat production and cooking. Although it would not
be efficient to raise animals (or catch fish) simply for their fat, use of the by-product adds value to the livestock
industry (hogs, cattle, poultry). Today, multi-feedstock biodiesel facilities are producing high quality animal-fat
based biodiesel.
[1][2]
Currently, a 5-million dollar plant is being built in the USA, with the intent of producing
11.4 million litres (3 million gallons) biodiesel from some of the estimated 1 billion kg (2.2 billion pounds) of chicken
fat
[81]
produced annually at the local Tyson poultry plant.
[77]
Similarly, some small-scale biodiesel factories use
waste fish oil as feedstock.
[82][83]
An EU-funded project (ENERFISH) suggests that at a Vietnamese plant to
produce biodiesel from catfish (basa, also known as pangasius), an output of 13 tons/day of biodiesel can be
produced from 81 tons of fish waste (in turn resulting from 130 tons of fish). This project utilises the biodiesel to
fuel a CHP unit in the fish processing plant, mainly to power the fish freezing plant.
[84]
Quantity of feedstocks required
Current worldwide production of vegetable oil and animal fat is not sufficient to replace liquid fossil fuel use.
Furthermore, some object to the vast amount of farming and the resulting fertilization, pesticide use, and land use
conversion that would be needed to produce the additional vegetable oil. The estimated transportation diesel fuel
and home heating oil used in the United States is about 160 million tons (350 billion pounds) according to the
Energy Information Administration, US Department of Energy.
[85]
In the United States, estimated production of
vegetable oil for all uses is about 11 million tons (24 billion pounds) and estimated production of animal fat is
5.3 million tonnes (12 billion pounds).
[86]
If the entire arable land area of the USA (470 million acres, or 1.9 million square kilometers) were devoted to
biodiesel production from soy, this would just about provide the 160 million tonnes required (assuming an optimistic
98 US gal/acre of biodiesel). This land area could in principle be reduced significantly using algae, if the obstacles
can be overcome. The US DOE estimates that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it
would require 15,000 square miles (38,849 square kilometers), which is a few thousand square miles larger than
Maryland, or 30% greater than the area of Belgium,
[87][88]
assuming a yield of 140 tonnes/hectare
(15,000 US gal/acre). Given a more realistic yield of 36 tonnes/hectare (3834 US gal/acre) the area required is
about 152,000 square kilometers, or roughly equal to that of the state of Georgia or of England and Wales. The
advantages of algae are that it can be grown on non-arable land such as deserts or in marine environments, and the
potential oil yields are much higher than from plants.
Yield
Feedstock yield efficiency per unit area affects the feasibility of ramping up production to the huge industrial levels
required to power a significant percentage of vehicles.
Some typical yields
Crop
Yield
L/ha US gal/acre
Chinese tallow
[n 1][n 2]
907 97
Palm oil
[n 3]
4752 508
Coconut 2151 230
Rapeseed
[n 3]
954 102
Soy (Indiana)
[89]
554-922 59.2-98.6
Peanut
[n 3]
842 90
Sunflower
[n 3]
767 82
Hemp 242 26
1. ^ Klass, Donald, "Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels,
and Chemicals", page 341. Academic Press, 1998.
2. ^ Kitani, Osamu, "Volume V: Energy and Biomass Engineering,
CIGR Handbook of Agricultural Engineering", Amer Society of Agricultural, 1999.
3. ^
a

b

c

d
"Biofuels: some numbers" (http://www.grist.org/article/biofuel-some-numbers). Grist.org. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
Algae fuel yields have not yet been accurately determined, but DOE is reported as saying that algae yield 30 times
more energy per acre than land crops such as soybeans.
[90]
Yields of 36 tonnes/hectare are considered practical by
Ami Ben-Amotz of the Institute of Oceanography in Haifa, who has been farming Algae commercially for over
20 years.
[91]
Jatropha has been cited as a high-yield source of biodiesel but yields are highly dependent on climatic and soil
conditions. The estimates at the low end put the yield at about 200 US gal/acre (1.5-2 tonnes per hectare) per
crop; in more favorable climates two or more crops per year have been achieved.
[92]
It is grown in the Philippines,
Mali and India, is drought-resistant, and can share space with other cash crops such as coffee, sugar, fruits and
vegetables.
[93]
It is well-suited to semi-arid lands and can contribute to slow down desertification, according to its
advocates.
[94]
Efficiency and economic arguments
According to a study by Drs. Van Dyne and Raymer for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the average US farm
consumes fuel at the rate of 82 litres per hectare (8.75 US gal/acre) of land to produce one crop. However,
average crops of rapeseed produce oil at an average rate of 1,029 L/ha (110 US gal/acre), and high-yield
rapeseed fields produce about 1,356 L/ha (145 US gal/acre). The ratio of input to output in these cases is roughly
1:12.5 and 1:16.5. Photosynthesis is known to have an efficiency rate of about 3-6% of total solar radiation
[95]
and
Pure biodiesel (B-100) made
from soybeans
if the entire mass of a crop is utilized for energy production, the overall efficiency of this chain is currently about
1%
[96]
While this may compare unfavorably to solar cells combined with an electric drive train, biodiesel is less
costly to deploy (solar cells cost approximately US$250 per square meter) and transport (electric vehicles require
batteries which currently have a much lower energy density than liquid fuels). A 2005 study found that biodiesel
production using soybeans required 27% more fossil energy than the biodiesel produced and 118% more energy
using sunflowers.
[97]
However, these statistics by themselves are not enough to show whether such a
change makes economic sense. Additional factors must be taken into account,
such as: the fuel equivalent of the energy required for processing, the yield of fuel
from raw oil, the return on cultivating food, the effect biodiesel will have on food
prices and the relative cost of biodiesel versus petrodiesel, water pollution from
farm run-off, soil depletion, and the externalized costs of political and military
interference in oil-producing countries intended to control the price of petrodiesel.
The debate over the energy balance of biodiesel is ongoing. Transitioning fully to
biofuels could require immense tracts of land if traditional food crops are used
(although non food crops can be utilized). The problem would be especially
severe for nations with large economies, since energy consumption scales with
economic output.
[98]
If using only traditional food plants, most such nations do not have sufficient arable land to produce biofuel for the
nation's vehicles. Nations with smaller economies (hence less energy consumption) and more arable land may be in
better situations, although many regions cannot afford to divert land away from food production.
For third world countries, biodiesel sources that use marginal land could make more sense; e.g., pongam oiltree
nuts grown along roads or jatropha grown along rail lines.
[99]
In tropical regions, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, plants that produce palm oil are being planted at a rapid pace
to supply growing biodiesel demand in Europe and other markets. Scientists have shown that the removal of
rainforest for palm plantations is not ecologically sound since the expansion of oil palm plantations poses a threat to
natural rainforest and biodiversity.
[100]
It has been estimated in Germany that palm oil biodiesel has less than one third of the production costs of rapeseed
biodiesel.
[101]
The direct source of the energy content of biodiesel is solar energy captured by plants during
photosynthesis. Regarding the positive energy balance of biodiesel:
When straw was left in the field, biodiesel production was strongly energy positive, yielding 1 GJ biodiesel
for every 0.561 GJ of energy input (a yield/cost ratio of 1.78).
When straw was burned as fuel and oilseed rapemeal was used as a fertilizer, the yield/cost ratio for
biodiesel production was even better (3.71). In other words, for every unit of energy input to produce
biodiesel, the output was 3.71 units (the difference of 2.71 units would be from solar energy).
Economic impact
Multiple economic studies have been performed regarding the economic impact of biodiesel production. One study,
commissioned by the National Biodiesel Board, reported the 2011 production of biodiesel supported 39,027 jobs
and more than $2.1 billion in household income.
[75]
The growth in biodiesel also helps significantly increase GDP.
In 2011, biodiesel created more than $3 billion in GDP. Judging by the continued growth in the Renewable Fuel
Standard and the extension of the biodiesel tax incentive, the number of jobs can increase to 50,725, $2.7 billion in
income, and reaching $5 billion in GDP by 2012 and 2013.
[102]
Energy security
One of the main drivers for adoption of biodiesel is energy security. This means that a nation's dependence on oil is
reduced, and substituted with use of locally available sources, such as coal, gas, or renewable sources. Thus a
country can benefit from adoption of biofuels, without a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. While the total
energy balance is debated, it is clear that the dependence on oil is reduced. One example is the energy used to
manufacture fertilizers, which could come from a variety of sources other than petroleum. The US National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) states that energy security is the number one driving force behind the US
biofuels programme,
[103]
and a White House "Energy Security for the 21st Century" paper makes it clear that
energy security is a major reason for promoting biodiesel.
[104]
The EU commission president, Jose Manuel
Barroso, speaking at a recent EU biofuels conference, stressed that properly managed biofuels have the potential to
reinforce the EU's security of supply through diversification of energy sources.
[105]
Global biofuel policies
Many countries around the world are involved in the growing use and production of biofuels, such as biodiesel, as
an alternative energy source to fossil fuels and oil. To foster the biofuel industry, governments have implemented
legislations and laws as incentives to reduce oil dependency and to increase the use of renewable energies.
[106]
Many countries have their own independent policies regarding the taxation and rebate of biodiesel use, import, and
production.
Canada
It was required by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act Bill C-33 that by the year 2010, gasoline contained
5% renewable content and that by 2013, diesel and heating oil contained 2% renewable content.
[106]
The
EcoENERGY for Biofuels Program subsidized the production of biodiesel, among other biofuels, via an incentive
rate of CAN$0.20 per liter from 2008 to 2010. A decrease of $0.04 will be applied every year following, until the
incentive rate reaches $0.06 in 2016. Individual provinces also have specific legislative measures in regards to
biofuel use and production.
[107]
United States
The Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) was the main source of financial support for biofuels, but was
scheduled to expire in 2010. Through this act, biodiesel production guaranteed a tax credit of US$1 per gallon
produced from virgin oils, and $0.50 per gallon made from recycled oils.
[108]
European Union
The European Union is the greatest producer of biodiesel, with France and Germany being the top producers. To
increase the use of biodiesel, there exist policies requiring the blending of biodiesel into fuels, including penalties if
those rates are not reached. In France, the goal was to reach 10% integration but plans for that stopped in
2010.
[106]
As an incentive for the European Union countries to continue the production of the biofuel, there are tax
rebates for specific quotas of biofuel produced. In Germany, the minimum percentage of biodiesel in transport
diesel is set at 4.4%, and will remain at that level until 2014.
Environmental effects
The surge of interest in biodiesels has highlighted a number of environmental effects associated with its use. These
potentially include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,
[109]
deforestation, pollution and the rate of
biodegradation.
According to the EPA's Renewable Fuel Standards Program Regulatory Impact Analysis
(http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/420r10006.pdf), released in February 2010, biodiesel from soy oil
results, on average, in a 57% reduction in greenhouse gases compared to petroleum diesel, and biodiesel produced
from waste grease results in an 86% reduction. See chapter 2.6 of the EPA report
(http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/420r10006.pdf) for more detailed information.
However, environmental organizations, for example, Rainforest Rescue
[110]
and Greenpeace,
[111]
criticize the
cultivation of plants used for biodiesel production, e.g., oil palms, soybeans and sugar cane. They say the
deforestation of rainforests exacerbates climate change and that sensitive ecosystems are destroyed to clear land for
oil palm, soybean and sugar cane plantations. Moreover, that biofuels contribute to world hunger, seeing as arable
land is no longer used for growing foods. The Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) published data in January
2012, showing that biofuels made from palm oil wont count towards the nations renewable fuels mandate as they
are not climate-friendly.
[112]
Environmentalists welcome the conclusion because the growth of oil palm plantations
has driven tropical deforestation, for example, in Indonesia and Malaysia.
[112][113]
Food, land and water vs. fuel
In some poor countries the rising price of vegetable oil is causing problems.
[114][115]
Some propose that fuel only
be made from non-edible vegetable oils such as camelina, jatropha or seashore mallow
[116]
which can thrive on
marginal agricultural land where many trees and crops will not grow, or would produce only low yields.
Others argue that the problem is more fundamental. Farmers may switch from producing food crops to producing
biofuel crops to make more money, even if the new crops are not edible.
[117][118]
The law of supply and demand
predicts that if fewer farmers are producing food the price of food will rise. It may take some time, as farmers can
take some time to change which things they are growing, but increasing demand for first generation biofuels is likely
to result in price increases for many kinds of food. Some have pointed out that there are poor farmers and poor
countries who are making more money because of the higher price of vegetable oil.
[119]
Biodiesel from sea algae would not necessarily displace terrestrial land currently used for food production and new
algaculture jobs could be created.
Current research
There is ongoing research into finding more suitable crops and improving oil yield. Other sources are possible
including human fecal matter, with Ghana building its first "fecal sludge-fed biodiesel plant."
[120]
Using the current
yields, vast amounts of land and fresh water would be needed to produce enough oil to completely replace fossil
fuel usage. It would require twice the land area of the US to be devoted to soybean production, or two-thirds to be
devoted to rapeseed production, to meet current US heating and transportation needs.
Specially bred mustard varieties can produce reasonably high oil yields and are very useful in crop rotation with
cereals, and have the added benefit that the meal leftover after the oil has been pressed out can act as an effective
and biodegradable pesticide.
[121]
The NFESC, with Santa Barbara-based Biodiesel Industries is working to develop biodiesel technologies for the
US navy and military, one of the largest diesel fuel users in the world.
[122]
A group of Spanish developers working for a company called Ecofasa (http://agnux.wordpress.com/tag/ecofasa/)
announced a new biofuel made from trash. The fuel is created from general urban waste which is treated by
bacteria to produce fatty acids, which can be used to make biodiesel.
[123]
Another approach that does not require the use of chemical for the production involves the use of genetically
modified microbes.
[124][125]
Algal biodiesel
From 1978 to 1996, the U.S. NREL experimented with using algae as a biodiesel source in the "Aquatic Species
Program".
[103]
A self-published article by Michael Briggs, at the UNH Biodiesel Group, offers estimates for the
realistic replacement of all vehicular fuel with biodiesel by utilizing algae that have a natural oil content greater than
50%, which Briggs suggests can be grown on algae ponds at wastewater treatment plants.
[88]
This oil-rich algae
can then be extracted from the system and processed into biodiesel, with the dried remainder further reprocessed
to create ethanol.
The production of algae to harvest oil for biodiesel has not yet been undertaken on a commercial scale, but
feasibility studies have been conducted to arrive at the above yield estimate. In addition to its projected high yield,
algaculture unlike crop-based biofuels does not entail a decrease in food production, since it requires neither
farmland nor fresh water. Many companies are pursuing algae bio-reactors for various purposes, including scaling
up biodiesel production to commercial levels.
[126][127]
Prof. Rodrigo E. Teixeira from the University of Alabama in Huntsville demonstrated the extraction of biodiesel
lipids from wet algae using a simple and economical reaction in ionic liquids.
[128]
Pongamia
Millettia pinnata, also known as the Pongam Oiltree or Pongamia, is a leguminous, oilseed-bearing tree that has
been identified as a candidate for non-edible vegetable oil production.
Pongamia plantations for biodiesel production have a two-fold environmental benefit. The trees both store carbon
and produce fuel oil. Pongamia grows on marginal land not fit for food crops and does not require nitrate fertilizers.
The oil producing tree has the highest yield of oil producing plant (approximately 40% by weight of the seed is oil)
Jatropha Biodiesel from
DRDO, India.
while growing in malnourished soils with high levels of salt. It is becoming a main focus in a number of biodiesel
research organizations.
[129]
The main advantages of Pongamia are a higher recovery and quality of oil than other
crops and no direct competition with food crops. However growth on marginal land can lead to lower oil yields
which could cause competition with food crops for better soil.
Jatropha
Several groups in various sectors are conducting research on Jatropha curcas, a
poisonous shrub-like tree that produces seeds considered by many to be a viable
source of biodiesel feedstock oil.
[130]
Much of this research focuses on improving
the overall per acre oil yield of Jatropha through advancements in genetics, soil
science, and horticultural practices.
SG Biofuels, a San Diego-based Jatropha developer, has used molecular breeding
and biotechnology to produce elite hybrid seeds of Jatropha that show significant
yield improvements over first generation varieties.
[131]
SG Biofuels also claims that
additional benefits have arisen from such strains, including improved flowering
synchronicity, higher resistance to pests and disease, and increased cold weather
tolerance.
[132]
Plant Research International, a department of the Wageningen University and
Research Centre in the Netherlands, maintains an ongoing Jatropha Evaluation
Project (JEP) that examines the feasibility of large scale Jatropha cultivation through
field and laboratory experiments.
[133]
The Center for Sustainable Energy Farming (CfSEF) is a Los Angeles-based non-profit research organization
dedicated to Jatropha research in the areas of plant science, agronomy, and horticulture. Successful exploration of
these disciplines is projected to increase Jatropha farm production yields by 200-300% in the next ten years.
[134]
Fungi
A group at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow published a paper in September 2008, stating that they
had isolated large amounts of lipids from single-celled fungi and turned it into biodiesel in an economically efficient
manner. More research on this fungal species; Cunninghamella japonica
(http://www.mycobank.org/Biolomics.aspx?Table=Mycobank&MycoBankNr_=252812), and others, is likely
to appear in the near future.
[135]
The recent discovery of a variant of the fungus Gliocladium roseum points toward the production of so-called
myco-diesel from cellulose. This organism was recently discovered in the rainforests of northern Patagonia and has
the unique capability of converting cellulose into medium length hydrocarbons typically found in diesel fuel.
[136]
Biodiesel from used coffee grounds
Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno, have successfully produced biodiesel from oil derived from used
coffee grounds. Their analysis of the used grounds showed a 10% to 15% oil content (by weight). Once the oil was
extracted, it underwent conventional processing into biodiesel. It is estimated that finished biodiesel could be
produced for about one US dollar per gallon. Further, it was reported that "the technique is not difficult" and that
"there is so much coffee around that several hundred million gallons of biodiesel could potentially be made annually."
However, even if all the coffee grounds in the world were used to make fuel, the amount produced would be less
than 1 percent of the diesel used in the United States annually. It wont solve the worlds energy problem, Dr.
Misra said of his work.
[137]
Exotic sources
Recently, alligator fat was identified as a source to produce biodiesel. Every year, about 15 million pounds of
alligator fat are disposed of in landfills as a waste byproduct of the alligator meat and skin industry. Studies have
shown that biodiesel produced from alligator fat is similar in composition to biodiesel created from soybeans, and is
cheaper to refine since it is primarily a waste product.
[138]
Biodiesel to hydrogen-cell power
A microreactor has been developed to convert biodiesel into hydrogen steam to power fuel cells.
[139]
Steam reforming, also known as fossil fuel reforming is a process which produces hydrogen gas from
hydrocarbon fuels, most notably biodiesel due to its efficiency. A **microreactor**, or reformer, is the processing
device in which water vapour reacts with the liquid fuel under high temperature and pressure. Under temperatures
ranging from 700 1100 C, a nickel-based catalyst enables the production of carbon monoxide and
hydrogen:
[140]
Hydrocarbon + H2O CO + 3 H2 (Highly endothermic)
Furthermore, a higher yield of hydrogen gas can be harnessed by further oxidizing carbon monoxide to produce
more hydrogen and carbon dioxide:
CO + H2O CO2 + H2 (Mildly exothermic)
Hydrogen fuel cells background information
Fuel cells operate similar to a battery in that electricity is harnessed from chemical reactions. The difference in fuel
cells when compared to batteries is their ability to be powered by the constant flow of hydrogen found in the
atmosphere. Furthermore, they produce only water as a by-product, and are virtually silent. The downside of
hydrogen powered fuel cells is the high cost and dangers of storing highly combustible hydrogen under
pressure.
[141]
One way new processors can overcome the dangers of transporting hydrogen is to produce it as necessary. The
microreactors can be joined to create a system that heats the hydrocarbon under high pressure to generate
hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide, a process called steam reforming. This produces up to 160 gallons of
hydrogen/minute and gives the potential of powering hydrogen refueling stations, or even an on-board hydrogen fuel
source for hydrogen cell vehicles.
[142]
Implementation into cars would allow energy-rich fuels, such as biodiesel, to
be transferred to kinetic energy while avoiding combustion and pollutant byproducts. The hand-sized square piece
of metal contains microscopic channels with catalytic sites, which continuously convert biodiesel, and even its
glycerol byproduct, to hydrogen.
[143]
Concerns
Engine wear
Lubricity of fuel plays an important role in wear that occurs in an engine. An engine relies on its fuel to provide
lubricity for the metal components that are constantly in contact with each other.
[144]
Biodiesel is a much better
lubricant compared with petroleum diesel due to the presence of esters. Tests have shown that the addition of a
small amount of biodiesel to diesel can significantly increase the lubricity of the fuel in short term.
[145]
However,
over a longer period of time (24 years), studies show that biodiesel loses its lubricity.
[146]
This could be because
of enhanced corrosion over time due to oxidation of the unsaturated molecules or increased water content in
biodiesel from moisture absorption.
[34]
Fuel viscosity
One of the main concerns regarding biodiesel is its viscosity. The viscosity of diesel is 2.53.2 cSt at 40C and the
viscosity of biodiesel made from soybean oil is between 4.2 and 4.6 cSt
[147]
The viscosity of diesel must be high
enough to provide sufficient lubrication for the engine parts but low enough to flow at operational temperature. High
viscosity can plug the fuel filter and injection system in engines.
[147]
Vegetable oil is composed of lipids with long
chains of hydrocarbons, to reduce its viscosity the lipids are broken down into smaller molecules of esters. This is
done by converting vegetable oil and animal fats into alkyl esters using transesterification to reduce their
viscosity
[148]
Nevertheless, biodiesel viscosity remains higher than that of diesel, and the engine may not be able to
use the fuel at low temperatures due to the slow flow through the fuel filter.
[149]
Engine performance
Biodiesel has higher brake-specific fuel consumption compared to diesel, which means more biodiesel fuel
consumption is required for the same torque. However, B20 biodiesel blend has been found to provide maximum
increase in thermal efficiency and lowest brake-specific energy consumption.
[34][144]
The engine performance
depends on the properties of the fuel, as well as on combustion, injector pressure and many other factors.
[150]
Since there are various blends of biodiesel, that may account for the contradicting reports in regards engine
performance.
See also
Ady Gil
Biohydrogen
Civic amenity site; collection point for WVO
[151][152]
EcoJet concept car
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
Gasoline gallon equivalent
Greasestock
Sustainable biofuel
Table of biofuel crop yields
Tonne of oil equivalent
Vegetable oil economy
Vegetable oil fuel
Fuel (film)
United States vs. Imperial Petroleum
Notes
1. ^
a

b
"Monthly_US_Raw_Material_Useage_for_US_Biodiesel_Production_2007_2009.pdf (application/pdf Object)"
(http://assets.nationalrenderers.org/Monthly_US_Raw_Material_Useage_for_US_Biodiesel_Production_2007_2009.
pdf). assets.nationalrenderers.org. 2010. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
2. ^
a

b
"AustraliaBiofuels.pdf (application/pdf Object)"
(http://www.bioenergy.org.nz/documents/liquidbiofuels/AustraliaBiofuels.pdf). bioenergy.org.nz. 2008. Retrieved
23 March 2012.
3. ^ "Biodiesel Basics" (http://www.biodiesel.org/what-is-biodiesel/biodiesel-basics) (?). National Biodiesel Board.
Retrieved 2013-01-29.
4. ^
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References
An Overview of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel Lifecycles, May 1998, Sheehan, et al. NREL (60pp pdf
file) (http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24772.pdf)
Business Management for Biodiesel Producers, January 2004, Jon Von Gerpen, Iowa State University
under contract with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) (210pp pdf file)
(http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/36242.pdf)
Energy balances in the growth of oilseed rape for biodiesel and of wheat for bioethanol
(http://www.biodiesel.co.uk/levington.htm), June 2000, I.R. Richards
Life Cycle Inventory of Biodiesel and Petroleum Diesel for Use in an Urban Bus, 1998, Sheehan, et al.
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Algae - like a breath mint for smokestacks (http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0111/p01s03-sten.html),
January 11, 2006, Mark Clayton, Christian Science Monitor
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VEHICLES. Catalysis Reviews 2001, 43, 31-84
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External links
Biodiesel (http://www.dmoz.org//Science/Technology/Energy/Renewable/Biomass_and_Biofuels/Biodiesel/)
at DMOZ
European Biodiesel Board (http://www.ebb-eu.org) website - European Biodiesel Industry.
Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance (http://sustainablebiodieselalliance.com/dev/)
International Energy Agency: Biofuels for Transport - An International Perspective
(https://web.archive.org/web/20110104210054/http://www.iea.org/textbase/nppdf/free/2004/biofuels2004.
pdf) at the Wayback Machine (archived January 4, 2011)
National Biodiesel Education Program, University of Idaho (http://www.biodieseleducation.org)unbiased,
science-based information on biodiesel for biodiesel producers and distributors, fleet operators, farmers and
feedstock producers, policy makers, and consumers.
Towards Sustainable Production and Use of Resources: Assessing Biofuels
(http://www.unep.fr/scp/rpanel/pdf/Assessing_Biofuels_Full_Report.pdf) by the United Nations Environment
Programme, October 2009.
Biodiesel Articles on eXtension
(http://www.extension.org/pages/Farm_Energy_Biodiesel_Table_of_Contents)eXtension (pronounced
"E-Extension") is a wiki for extension professors and agents across the United States. The Farm Energy
section contains over 30 articles on biodiesel, from the basics to more technical information.
Biodiesel Safety and Best Management Practices for Small-Scale Noncommercial Use and Production
(http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs103.pdf)
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